Door template



1968 L. w. FITZGERALD DOOR TEMPLATE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 11, 1966 I N VEN TOR. v LLOYD w. FITZGERALD BY A0 W AGENT Nov. 5, 1968 w, FlTZGERALD 3,408,744

noon TEMPLATE Filed May 11, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 j 5 INVENTOR.

LLOYD W. FITZGERALD AGENT United States Patent 3,408,744 DOOR TEMPLATE Lloyd W. Fitzgerald, 2870 Ferry St., Eugene, Oreg. 97405 Filed May 11, 1966, Ser. No. 549,350 7 Claims. (Cl. 33-194) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A template is disclosed for taking the measurements of a doorway opening and having a pair of standards for spaced apart placement adjacent the upright jambs of the doorway and being vertically positionable relative to one another. Telescoping cross members interconnect the standards and permit such relative movement while a lockable diagonal cross member is provided for retention of the standards at different adjusted heights upon operationally positioning the template. A resilient foot assembly carried by each standard includes provision for accurately measuring the vertical distance of the doorway opening along the opposed upright jambs thereof.

The present invention relates generally to templates and more specifically to templates of the type used in the fitting or hanging of a door within a previously constructed doorway or frame. Such fitting of a door customarily entails a certain amount of trimming to achieve a precise fit by reason of one or both being somewhat other than perfectly square.

Without the aid of a door template the task of hanging a door involves repeated applications of the door to the opening for the trimming thereof in a cut-and-fit manner. The size and weight of a typical door makes this an awkward, time consuming task with the closeness of fit being dependent solely upon the carpenters skill. While I am aware that numerous door templates may be found in the prior art to facilitate door trimming, it is to be noted that for one or more reasons such templates have not been widely accepted.

In the development of the present template consideration has been given to the job conditions under which such templates are used. Accordingly, the present template has for one *of its important objects the provision of a lightweight, easy to use tool which may be conveniently transported by an individual from one work site to another within a structure. The foregoing is accomplished without any sacrifice in desired tolerances or nicety of fit heretofore attainable only with cumbersome template devices.

A further object is the provision of a door template readily inse-rtable within a door opening and having a minimum of adjustable fittings thus precluding tedious, time consuming efforts associated 'with existing templates of this general nature. Further, the adjustable fittings so provided are recessed within the confines of the frame of the template to permit either side thereof to be located on the door during the fitting without danger of marring same.

Another object lies in a pair of standards each vertically positionable relative to the other and each having adjustable foot assemblies for accurately transferring the two separate vertical measurements of a non-uniform doorway opening to the opposite vertical edges of the door.

A still further important object is the provision of a continuous, fiexibile strip positionable along the length of a door jamb and along which a scribing tool may be run to accurately locate, prior to trimming, one edge of the door.

These and other objects will become readily apparent 3,408,744 Patented Nov. 5, 1968 upon a reading of the following specification and drawings referred to therein and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical, elevational view of the door template of the present invention in place Within an existing door frame or jamb.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary view, on an enlarged scale, of the upper portion of the template of FIGURE 1 operatively disposed within an out-of-square door jamb.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary view of one of the adjustable, spring-biased foot assemblies and disclosing means afforded thereby for setting the length of one standard of the door template.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary view, on an enlarged scale, of means for positioning a flexible strip against a door jamb.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 55 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 6 is a side elevational view of the template being applied to a door.

With continuing reference to the drawings in which like reference numerals designate like parts and particularly FIGURE 1 thereof, the numeral 1 indicates generally a door template made in accordance with the present invention disposed within a doorway defined by a door frame or jamb indicated generally at 2 and in the conventional manner comprising a pair of vertical jarnb members 3 and 4 and a header jamb 5. Hereinafter, for the sake of convenience, the left hand vertical jamb 3 is referred to as the hinge jamb and the right hand vertical ja-mb 4 as the lock jam'b. A sill is indicated at 6 and is merely exemplary of a typical doorway having no effect on the structure or operation of the instant template.

With particular reference to the template 1, a pair of upright standards 10 and 11 are adjustably and horizontally spaced by a series of telescopic, tubular crossmembers indicated at 12, 13 and 14. The tubular crossmembers are attached at their ends to the standards by attachment means in the form of a joint typically shown in FIGURE 2, and of a type permitting slight relative angular movement between the joined members for purposes hereinafter elaborated upon. One form of such a joint comprises a cylindrical plug 15 secured within the end of the crossmember by fasteners 16, the plug 15 also receiving a bolt 17, the head of which bears upon the opposite side of the upright standard 10 or 11. It has been found practical to form the standards 10 and 11 from one inch rectangular tubing of lightweight and durable metal.

With continuing reference to crossmembers 12, 13 and 14, the telescoping members thereof indicated at 12A, 13A and 14A, as typically shown in FIGURES 2 and 5, are of a substantially lesser outside diameter than their companion crossmembers 12, 13 and 14 and are provided adjacent their outer ends with clamping means in the form of a thumbscrew 20 as best shown in FIGURE 5. The crossmembers are slotted as at 12B, 13B and 14B to receive the shank 21 of each thumbscrew 20 which extends into an internally threaded collar 22 secured interior and adjacent the ends of the members 12A, 13A, 14A. A curved washer 23 provides a clamping surface and is urged into clamping contact by an enlargement 24 formed on the thumbscrew shank 21. From the above it will be evident that the crossmember and attachment means provided permit both the locating of standards 10 and 11 in various spaced apart relationships and, to a limited extent, relative vertical movement therebetween.

Housed within the bottom end at each standard 10 and 11 is a foot assembly indicated generally at 25 bearing upon the floor or sill 6 subjacent the doorway. As best shown in FIGURE 3, each assembly includes a threaded shaft 26 provided at its lower end with an in- I pressure plate 31. Rivets 35 act as a limit stop for plate 31. From the above it will be evident that upon location of the template within the door jamb the foot assembly 25 will permit downward movement of its standard 10-11 with guide 33, carried thereby, compressing to the extent necessary spring 32, the lower end of which is in abutment against plate 31. The repositioning of the cylindrical housing by knurled disc 27 is described later in the operation of the template. Relative, vertical positioning will occur to a slight degree between the standards upon insertion of same between the header jamb and the sill 6 assuming the latter are not in parallel relationship. Standard 11 is moved axially downward or upward (depending on the header jamb 5) to seat its upper end firmly against the header jamb.

A diagonal telescopic crossmember 36 including clamping means 37 carried by a telescoping member 38 in a similar manner to that above described, is pivotally mounted at its ends as at 39 and 40 to the inner surfaces of standards and 11. The crossmember 36, in cooperation with the horizontal crossmembers 12, 13 and 14, functions to secure the standards against relative vertical movement as more fully hereinafter set forth.

Disposed outwardly from standard 11 is a flexible strip 41 carried by horizontally adjustable and locking means in the form of a plurality of lockable eye bolts 42 such as is shown in FIGURE 4. Threaded fittings 43 mounted on strip 41 by screws 44 correspond with an opening 45 in said strip to permit horizontal movement of the strip relative to the eye bolt upon rotation of the bolt. An unthreaded portion of the eye bolt shank is journalled within a drilled passageway 46 in the standard 11. Upon positioning of strip 41 a lock nut 47 is tightened against the standard to insure prevention of rotation of the eye bolt by drawing a flange 42A into bearing contact with the inner surface of the standard. It will be seen that placement of the template within the door jamb after spacing the template standards to an approximate width the final width dimensions are taken by securely urging strip 41 into contact with the lock jamb 4.

Clearance blocks 48 are mounted at intervals along standard 10 to provide the desired clearance between the door being hung and the two vertical jambs 3 and 4. The clearance blocks are attached by countersunk, flat head metal screws 49 and may be replaced by blocks of different thickness to provide the desired clearances between the door and the hinge and lock jambs. Standard 10 is drilled and tapped to receive screws 49.

For the sake of convenience the member 13A of the middle crossmember 13 may be provided with indices to facilitate positioning of the standards to the approximate door width prior to placement of the template within the jamb. Further, standard extensions may be provided as indicated at 50 in FIGURE 4 insertable within the upper end of the standard for the fitting of other than standard doors.

Operation Standards 10 and 11 are spaced to the approximate width of the door jamb using the indices provided on crossmember 13A. Similarly, the foot assemblies 25 are extended by rotation of knurled discs 27 to provide an over-all length of each standard somewhat exceeding the height of the header jamb 5 from sill 6. Subsequently, the template is placed within the door jamb 2 clearance blocks 48 firmly abutting the hinge jamb 3 and the upper ends of the standards in spring-urged, bearing contact against the header jamb 5.

In FIGURE 2 an out-ofsquare header jamb 5 is shown in a slightly exaggerated manner with the upper end of standard 11 hearing upwardly thereagainst. Such upward positioning, distance indicated at x, of standard 11 is permitted by the novel crossmember arrangement, specifically the loosely fitting telescopic members, the manner in which they are attached to the standards and the inherent flexibility of the crossmembers themselves. Tightening of clamping means 37 of the diagonal crossmember along with clamping means 20 associated with the remaining crossmembers secures standards 10 and 11 ina fixed relationship.

The width dimension of the door jamb opening is now taken by rotation of the eye bolts 42 to firmly urge the flexible strip 41 into abutment against the lock jamb 4. Lock nuts 47 are then tightened to secure the bolts against further rotation.

With particular attention to the lower end of the standards 10-11 and the foot assemblies 25 housed therein as typically shown in FIGURE 3, the lower ends of the standards will assume the broken line position shown with the guide 33 compressing spring 32 against pressure plate 31 of the foot assembly. The vertical dimension for each edge of the door is achieved as follows: Clockwise rotation of disc 27 and hence the threaded shaft 26 relocates downwardly plate 31 and nut 29 carried thereby to the dashed line position of FIGURE 3 against rivets 35 thus relieving the compression loading of spring 32 by providing the original vertical spacing between plate 31 and guide 33. Rotation of disc 27 is terminated upon the operator sensing the compression load being reduced to only that load exerted by the weight of the standard.

The template is now removed from the door jamb 2 by a downward and outward motion and applied to the door as shown in FIGURE 6 with the clearance blocks in overlying engagement with the hinge receiving edge of the door.

A top line is scribed intermediate the upper ends of the standards and a bottom line intermediate the ends of the foot assemblies. A third line is scribed along that edge opposite the hinge edge of the door along the flexible strip 41 to complete the transfer of the door jamb dimensions to the door.

I claim:

1. A template for taking the dimensions of a doorway for transfer to a door for facilitating the trimming thereof to a size providing an accurate fit within the doorway defined by a door jamb, said template comprising,

a pair of upright standards each adapted for placement adjacent one vertical member of said door jamb, a diagonally disposed tubular telescoping crossmember pivotally mounted at its ends to said standards,

pairs of horizontally disposed tubular crossmembers telescopically joined in a loose manner and attached at their outer ends to and normally extending generally at right angles from said standards,

attachment means connecting said crossmembers to said standards in a manner providing for limited vertical movement of one standard relative to the other of said standards,

an elongated flexible strip connected to one of said standards and adapted for placement against an adjacent vertical member of the door jamb,

strip adjusting and locking means carried by the last mentioned standard and coupled with said strip for firmly engaging said strip in abutment against said adjacent vertical member of the door jamb, and

a foot assembly carried at the lower portion of each standard and including manually adjustable means normally biasing its respective standard in an upward direction.

2. The template as claimed in claim 1 wherein said horizontally disposed crossmembers each comprise a pair of telescoping tubular members wherein one of said pair of tubular members is of a substantially lesser diameter than its companion tubular member to permit relative lateral displacement of the tubular members to cooperate with said attachment means to facilitate relative vertical movement between said standards.

3. A template as claimed in claim 1 wherein said strip adjustment and locking means includes a series of bolts journalled within one of said standards and threadedly engaged with fittings mounted on said flexible strip to urge the latter horizontally outward from said last mentioned standard and against a vertical member of the door jamb.

4. The template as claimed in claim 1 wherein said standards are of tubular structure and include fixed length extensions insertable within the upper end thereof whereby the template may be used for the transfer of dimensions of doorways having a greater than normal vertical dimension.

5. The template as claimed in claim 1 wherein the other of said standards includes a series of vertically spaced apart clearance blocks each of a Width greater than the standard and a desired thickness removably mounted thereon for abutment with a vertical member of the door jamb.

6. The template as claimed in claim 1 wherein either side of said template may be applied to a door being trimmed by reason of all of said crossmembers and attachment means lying within parallel vertical planes containing the outermost door contacting surfaces of said standards.

7. A template as claimed in claim 1 wherein said foot assembly comprises a threaded shaft having a segment extending upwardly into the lower portion of its standard, a housing threadedly engaged with said shaft and positionable therealong upon rotation of said shaft in one direction and resilient means confined intermediate said housing and said standard whereby relative downward movement of said standard is permitted upon placement of the template within a door jamb thus loading said resilient member and subsequent rotation'of said shaft in an opposite direction positions said housing downwardly relative to said standard to unload said resilient means at which time the height of one vertical member of the door jamb will be represented by the combined length of the standard and the downwardly extending segment of said shaft of the foot assembly.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 937,816 10/1909 Koerner 33l94 1,946,961 2/1934 Blade 33---194 2,511,900 6/1950 Bryant 33194 2,684,090 7/1954 Bemitz 33-194 X 2,850,309 9/1958 Grover et al. 248-188.4 X 3,102,345 9/1963 Holland 33---194 3,121,958 2/1964 Findley 33-194 3,126,644 3/1964 Dale 33-194 3,200,509 8/1965 Stephens 33-194 WILLIAM D. MARTIN, JR., Primary Examiner. 

